I love to use flowers for macro intentional camera movement photography. Their petals are perfect for adding a nice splash of color–and their stems add a useful bit of line.

Third, choose a simple background. You want the focus to be on the ‘moving’ subject, not the objects behind it!

I’ve found that the best intentional camera movement photos have bright white backgrounds. So I suggest you get down low and shoot toward the sky.

Fourth, choose a composition–composing as if you’ll take a non-ICM photo. Then take a slight step back. You want to give your subject a bit of room to ‘move’ within the frame.

Finally, take your shot while panning your camera across your subject. I recommend you pan in the direction of any lines on your subject. So, if you’re photographing a flower, pan along the stem. This will result in a slightly more recognizable abstract–and a more stunning photo.

Now, this technique will take a bit of experimentation. You’ll want to vary your shutter speed. And you’ll also want to vary the speed and direction in which you pan.

But if you’re willing to persevere, you can capture some incredibly creative macro photos.

5. Get in Close for Abstract Macro Images

Here’s a final creative macro photography technique for you. One that I use all the time.

Fortunately, you can use it on just about any subject.

You simply have to get in close…

…and shoot an abstract macro photo.

Now, abstract macro photography might seem like a difficult genre to master. But it’s really not–you just have to know a few tricks:

First, you must try to think of your subject, not as a thing, but as shapes and lines. If you’re shooting a rose, don’t notice the petals. Instead, see the curves!

Second, closer is nearly always better. The closer you get to your subject, the less it’s recognizable as a subject–and the more it becomes beautifully abstract.

Third, the best abstract macros often have very little of the subject in focus. So you don’t need to struggle with a tripod setup. Instead, choose a very wide aperture, and shoot handheld!

If you can embrace the shallow depth of field effect, you’ll capture even more stunning abstract photos.

Creative Macro Photography: The Next Steps

Now you know how to capture some wonderfully creative macro photography.

And you’re definitely on your way to a unique macro portfolio.

My recommendation:

Get out and start practicing. You might surprise yourself with the shots you capture!

Also…

If you want to keep improving your macro photography skills, then you should sign up for my newsletter! I’ll send you lots of tips, tricks, and secrets, all designed to get you capturing gorgeous photos (as fast as possible!)

Jaymes is a nature photographer and photography writer/editor from Ann Arbor, Michigan. His articles have been featured by a number of leading photography publications, including Digital Photography School, Expert Photography, and PetaPixel. To read more about him, click here!